Mardil Medical Inc. has comÂpleted the first huÂman implÂants of its new surÂgiÂcal theraÂpy to reÂverse a heart disÂease called funcÂtionÂal mitÂral valve reÂgurÂgiÂtaÂtion (FMR) that Mardil says afÂfects nearÂly 6 milÂlion AmeriÂcans.
Plymouth-based Mardil raised $6.1 milÂlion in 2012, mostÂly from a MaÂlayÂsian venÂture fund to which it was introÂduced by Minnesota-based LifeScience Alley. Mardil says its VenTouch sysÂtem is less inÂvaÂsive and more ecoÂnomiÂcal than open-heart surgery. A surÂgiÂcal team at National Heart Institute in Kuala LumÂpur, MaÂlayÂsia imÂplantÂed the deÂvice in two paÂtients who were very ill and part of a gloÂbal clinÂiÂcal study.
"Our heart team was fasÂciÂnatÂed with the ease of placeÂment, the imÂmeÂdiÂate perÂformÂance of the of the VenTouch and the rapid reÂcovÂerÂy of the [two] very sick paÂtients," Dr. Jeswant Dillon, clinÂiÂcal diÂrecÂtor of aÂdult surÂgerÂy and chief cardiothoracic surÂgeon said in a stateÂment. The proÂceÂdure was also supÂportÂed by leadÂing surÂgeons from the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, New York University Langone Medical Center and ToÂronÂto General Hospital.
FMR ocÂcurs when the left venÂtriÂcle of the heart is enÂlarged, the mitÂral valve no longÂer closÂes propÂerÂly and the blood flows back into the atrium. UnÂtreatÂed, the FMR overÂloads the enÂlargÂing heart and can lead to accelerated heart failÂure and death. The curÂrent treatÂment reÂquires open-heart surÂgerÂy.
CEO Jim Buck, a vetÂerÂan of St. Jude and smaller medical companies, said the sucÂcessÂful treatÂment of "two very sick paÂtients" with the Mardil's VenTouch sysÂtem is a significant step toÂward eÂvenÂtuÂal comÂmercialÂiÂzaÂtion and wideÂspread adaptation of "this groundbreaking theraÂpy."
The VenTouch techÂnolÂoÂgy is rootÂed in inÂtelÂlecÂtuÂal propÂerÂty acÂquired largeÂly from the formÂer Acorn CarÂdiÂoÂvascular and another development-stage company that ran out of money.
"Our apÂproach is less inÂvaÂsive, less costÂly and diÂrectÂly adÂdressÂes the unÂderÂlyÂing root cause of the conÂdiÂtion in a safe fashÂion," Buck said.
The VenTouch sysÂtem, purÂportÂed to be the only deÂvice that treats the "root cause of FMR" is a "bioÂmaÂteÂriÂal sleeve fitÂted with an inÂflatÂable, adÂjustÂaÂble fluÂid chamÂber that apÂplies preÂscripÂtive presÂsure to a tarÂgetÂed loÂcaÂtion in ordÂer reÂaÂlign valve leafÂlets." In othÂer words, it's deÂsigned to solve the probÂlem and reÂshape the enÂlarged heart. The sleeve subsequently can be adjusted through a "port" just under the skin.
Mardil is seekÂing regÂuÂlaÂtoÂry apÂprovÂal in EuÂrope, Asia and Canada, folÂlowed by anÂticÂiÂpated U.S. regÂuÂlaÂtoÂry apÂprovÂal and coÂmmerÂcialÂiÂzaÂtion. More inforÂmaÂtion: www.mardil.com.
St. Paul Small-busiÂness ownÂer reÂturns to EthiÂopia to help
Shegitu Kebede, the St. Paul resÂtauÂraÂteur and imÂmiÂgrant, is in EthiÂopia, planÂning a school for refuÂgees for which she and her supÂportÂers raised more than $20,000.
According to Kebede's busiÂness partÂner and Jane Graupman, exÂecÂuÂtive diÂrecÂtor of the nonprofit International Institute of Minnesota, Kebede found a tranÂsiÂtion cenÂter in one camp that housÂes 400 East AfÂriÂcan chilÂdren who are sleepÂing on the ground on plasÂtic sheets. Kebede is tryÂing to raise an adÂdiÂtionÂal $5,000 for matÂtresses, blanÂkets and flashÂlights.
The International Institute (www.iimn.org) is the fisÂcal aÂgent and a partÂner in Kebede's Women at the Well International nonprofit that trains refuÂgees in lanÂguage and job skills as they preÂpare to imÂmiÂgrate to a westÂern counÂtry. Kebede was inÂvitÂed to build the school last year by the UnitÂed NaÂtions refÂuÂgee aÂgenÂcy.
"This is the camp where Shegitu is going to build the school," Graupman said last week. "She's tryÂing to make it hapÂpen. The avÂerÂage stay of a perÂson in a refÂuÂgee camps has grown from two or three [years] to 17 years. They are there for a long time."
The colÂumn I wrote last month about Kebede's jourÂney from orÂphan to refÂuÂgee to Minnesota small busiÂness ownÂer is at: www.tinyurl.com/kjdddzc. Tax-deÂductÂiÂble checks made to International Institute/TranÂsiÂtion Center for Children can be sent to Frewoini Haile at The FlaÂminÂgo, 490 N. Syndicate St., St. Paul 55104. FolÂlow Kebede in EthiÂopia at www.iimn.org/about/iimn-blog.
Attorney Soule starts next act
George Soule, a vetÂerÂan Minneapolis atÂtorÂney who helped Gov. Arne Carlson and Gov. JesÂse VenÂtuÂra take polÂiÂtics out of the juÂdiÂcial seÂlecÂtion procÂess, is branchÂing out on his own.
A foundÂing partÂner of the firm BowÂman and Brooke, Soule, 59, is hangÂing out his own shinÂgle with anÂothÂer BowÂman and Brooke alum, MeÂlisÂsa Stull. The firm will be known as Soule & Stull with a speÂcialÂty in prodÂuct liÂaÂbilÂiÂty cases, comÂmerÂcial litÂiÂgaÂtion and disÂpute resÂoÂluÂtion. The firm's bigÂgest cliÂent is IÂoÂwa-based VerÂmeer Corp., a farm inÂdusÂtrial and conÂstrucÂtion eÂquipÂment manÂuÂfacÂturÂer.
"It was a good time to make a change. I still have 10 to 15 years left in me, and a new chalÂlenge is a good thing," said Soule, who sat on the Minnesota Commission on JuÂdiÂcial SeÂlecÂtion as its vice chairman and its chairman for 11 years. "That was the most reÂwardÂing thing I've ever done. "
Soule is a memÂber of the White Earth NaÂtion and curÂrentÂly serves on the White Earth Court of Appeals. He said he would like to exÂpand his InÂdiÂan law pracÂtice in his new firm. Soule, with 34 years of pracÂtice unÂder his belt, is a HarÂvard Law graduÂate who counts aÂmong his formÂer classÂmates U.S. SuÂpreme Court Justice John Roberts.
David Phelps
Target still downtown's largest, albeit smaller, employer
At the Downtown Council's annual meeting this month, Target was ranked No. 1 in downtown Minneapolis employers with 12,582 employees, compared with 12,239 in early 2013.
Target confirms it gives the numbers to the Downtown Council for its annual ranking, although it declined to specify when it provided the 12,582 figure.
In late January, Target laid off or declined to fill a total of nearly 1,200 positions systemwide in response to soft business.
Target has declined to specify job cuts or location. Last week, a spokeswoman said Target employs about 12,000 downtown, but that didn't necessarily reflect a 500-plus drop in employment.
"It is not unusual for our numbers to move up and down throughout the year," Target's Jessica Stevens said in an e-mail response. "Therefore, when asked throughout the year, we typically provide a round approximation. As we stated following the position eliminations in January, the number of positions impacted represented a very small percentage of our total headquarters population and was not exclusive to Minneapolis. In addition, as we shared then, we remain committed to investing in key business areas to strengthen our ability to compete and thrive well into the future, and that includes hiring great talent."
Target is still downtown's largest employer by a healthy margin. Wells Fargo ranks second with 7,000 employees.
Minnesota doesn't play in brewing's Big Ten
Minnesota has the 154-year-old Schell's BrewÂerÂy, the 28-year-old Summit BrewÂerÂy in St. Paul and more than a dozÂen new beer makÂers launched in 2013; at least 10 small and large brewÂers have anÂnounced exÂpanÂsion plans over the last year. ReÂsurÂgent northeast Minneapolis has esÂtabÂlished its "brew disÂtrict, " inÂcludÂing DanÂgerÂous Man, 612Brew and InÂdeed in an unÂholy "taproom triniÂty" withÂin about a mile from each othÂer; and there are many small brewÂers with names such as Brau Brothers, Excelsior, FulÂton, Boom Island, Bent PadÂdle and Stillwater's Lift Bridge.
But we have yet to crack the "Big Ten" of brewÂing states. Minnesota ranks 15th in terms of numÂber of perÂmitÂted brewÂerÂies and 19th in terms of beer-inÂdusÂtry total ecoÂnomÂic imÂpact of about $4 bilÂlion, from brewhouses to wholeÂsalÂers to reÂtail, acÂcordÂing to the latÂest slew of statÂistÂics from Beer Institute (www.beerinstitute.org), the inÂdusÂtry lobÂby and staÂtisÂtiÂcal gathÂerÂer.
A maÂjorÂiÂty of the 948 perÂmits isÂsued naÂtionÂalÂly in 2013 were to small "brewÂpubs," drivÂing the inÂdusÂtry to a reÂcord-high 3,699 acÂtive "perÂmitÂted brewÂerÂies," acÂcordÂing to fedÂerÂal statÂistÂics and the Beer Institute. The growth is in small, local brewÂers and speÂcialÂty brands introÂduced by naÂtionÂal brands.
The Beer Institute anÂalyÂsis showed that four states acÂcount for one-third of all brewÂerÂies in the UnitÂed States: CaliÂforÂnia, Washington, ColÂoÂraÂdo and OrÂeÂgon.